


Every Time I Choose You

by endlessnightlock (Endlessnightlock)



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Arranged Marriage, F/M, Just realized that might be a big eww for some, Katniss is a butcher so there’s references to butchering animals, Mild Sexual Content, Older Katniss, sorry - Freeform, younger Peeta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:40:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23633251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endlessnightlock/pseuds/endlessnightlock
Summary: Older Katniss makes a bargain for Younger Peeta to become her husband in this no Hunger Games, in-Panem arranged marriage a/u.
Relationships: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Comments: 118
Kudos: 244





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to add a little more to the story of these two from the drabble I wrote for Everlarkbirthdaygifts on Tumblr. I have a few more ideas (but too many things I'm working on to say when there might be more) and I really liked this concept. The lovey Buttercupbadass encouraged me to continue it, so here we go!

"So this is it," Katniss Everdeen- no it was _Mellark_ now, Peeta would have to remember that, remarked as she opened the door to the small house. She indicated with a tilt of her head that he should follow her inside once she stepped over the threshold. "It's not much, but we manage," she continued, reaching around and shutting the door behind him. "Things'll be easier now that we've got you to help." 

His new wife hesitated, tilting her little pointed chin in defiance of whatever preconceived notion was floating through her head. She seemed to think Peeta would think this house, which was clean and tidy and cozy-looking even if it were a bit time-worn, wasn't good enough for him. "It's not as nice as what you're used to at the bakery, but we're comfortable here. You'll be free to do whatever you like, just so long as you help me with the heavy work."

Even though he was now married to her, Peeta didn't know much about Katniss Everdeen other than public information, like the fact that she'd opened her butcher shop in the Seam not long after the Capitol fell five years ago. That year would've been her fifth reaping and his second. 

Despite being a bit in the dark on details of her, he felt optimistic about making a place for himself with Katniss and her younger sister.

The current situation had to be an improvement over continuing to live with his mother and father.  When she'd approached them, Katniss told his parents that she needed more help at her shop. She would be willing to take Peeta on as a husband if they weren't opposed to the match.  Of course, they weren't, him being third in line for a business where they couldn't afford to keep him on any longer. 

He could be very useful to her, Katniss had said to them, his father had relayed to Peeta afterward- he'd been surprised but not opposed to the idea. 

The issue was more that he couldn't begin to imagine why she would've picked him.  Katniss was a well-respected businesswoman who was also both young and attractive. He didn't know why she'd resorted to bargaining for a husband; it seemed as though she'd been beating prospective suitors off with a stick for years now.

Maybe it was because of the bread he'd given to her in the past. 

Peeta shook his head at that thought- the bread had been such a small thing. That couldn't be why- it was just that the incident was the only connection he shared with her. 

Whatever Katniss's reason had been, Peeta was cautiously optimistic about being here as Prim smiled at him from across the room. 

* * *

The three of them ate the dinner Prim had prepared ahead of time shortly after they arrived at the house, just after Peeta finished carrying his things inside. He left his bag and box next to the front door, where Katniss indicated he should. 

In a typical marriage, there would be a toasting after the evening meal. The ceremony wasn't necessary; Katniss and Peeta had done all that was required- meeting to sign the license during the short window of time that had been allocated to them between the bakery closing for the day and the Justice Building locking its doors. 

Instead of a toasting, there was a meal full of Prim's friendly chatter and Katniss's murmured responses, followed by the three of them sitting in the living room next to the fire he started for them in the fireplace. 

Prim passed the time working on a quilt while Katniss carefully sharpened her knives on a large flintstone. "It saves me time in the morning," his new wife explained quietly, never looking up from her tools. 

Peeta kept his thoughts mostly to himself other than a few words exchanged with Prim about her pet goat, unsure yet what his new wife expected of him or what his role would be in this new little family. 

It felt a little strained at times but was mostly a pleasant way to while away the time. 

When the fire had burned down, and it was time for them to retire, Katniss stood up and stared at a fixed point on the wall, just over his shoulder, before addressing him. 

Peeta couldn't help but be awed of her quiet authority. She was so different from his mother, a woman who used brute force and a raised voice to get her point across. _She_ _would_ _be a good mother if I ever had that chance with her; he_ surprised himself by thinking. 

He was getting ahead of himself.

"We don't have a second bedroom," Katniss told him. This moment was what he'd been expecting, a speech about having a platonic marriage. And that was fine. Whatever she wanted. 

"Katniss," Peeta cut her off, thinking it was probably the first time he'd called her by her name, "it's fine. I can sleep-"

She interrupted him before he could get further into his speech. "And Prim sleeps out here on the couch. You'll be in the bedroom with me."

Oh. 

Peeta swallowed nervously. In the tension-filled silence, he swore he could hear his heartbeat thundering in his ears- until Prim broke the lull by giggling from her place across the room, of course.

Katniss sent her sister a scowl that managed to get the younger girl's laughter under control, before striding nonchalantly past Peeta to the washroom where she shut the door quickly behind her.

"Well, you heard her, I guess," Prim bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing. She was at least trying to get herself under control, he supposed

At least one of them found this amusing.

"Bedroom is that way," Prim told him helpfully, pointing to the far corner of the house.

* * *

Peeta sat on the edge of the quilt-covered bed, still in the clothes he'd worn for the appointment at the Justice Building earlier that day. He was anxiously waiting for his wife to join him in the room. 

He was a nervous wreck- excited, full of anticipation, scared-as-shit; mostly, he was having a hard time comprehending that this woman he'd barely spoken with wanted him to make love to her.

It's not like Peeta was entirely inexperienced, he'd kissed a few girls from school and had even gone a little farther than that with the grocer's daughter at a party when they'd both drank white liquor than either could handle, but sex? 

He'd never even come close to sex. 

And Katniss was older- only three years, but what if she'd had a string of experienced lovers? He didn't want to disappoint her, but a part of him knew it was inevitable.

But then again, there was the other point. Sex. With a beautiful woman. 

His _wife_. 

And Peeta still didn't know why she'd chosen him.

Katniss stepped into the room then, interrupting his thoughts, walking so softly he almost didn't hear her. 

She'd changed into a long faded floral print nightgown that began at her neck and flowed down to her ankles and wrists. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her hair was unbraided, loose and soft around her shoulders, and there were all of these little wispy hairs sticking up around her hairline as if she'd just finished washing her face. 

Katniss looked fresh and young and impossibly pretty, and he swore that his heart skipped a beat. 

"Would you mind getting up for a minute?" she asked softly. "I need to turn down the covers."

Peeta stood quickly and moved out of the way, hoping this sense of not knowing what to do with himself would fade soon. His pulse was thrumming through every pressure point in his body- he'd give anything to know what she expected of him.

Katniss went to the other side of the bed and pulled the covers back before casually climbing in. 

He told himself to relax.

Once she was under the blankets, she glanced over to where he stood indecisively. "Do you typically sleep in your clothes?" she asked wryly.

Peeta felt the heat race up his face. "No, I just wasn't sure what I should do," he admitted, aware that he was making an absolute mess of this.

Katniss glanced away again after a so-quick-Peeta-almost-missed-it perusal of his body. Things were tense for a moment between them before she also spoke, "I don't want to do anything tonight. I mean," she began, "I don't want to have..." 

The stutter in her voice was like a balm to his nerves. Peeta immediately felt some of the tension escape from his body. 

Katniss was unsure of herself as well, maybe even as much as he was.

"I don't want to sleep with you tonight," Katniss finally managed to finish getting out. "I'm not ready for that with you yet."

_Yet_? 

The word _yet_ felt doable. A word like _yet_ meant Peeta had time to think about things- _yet_ was like a far-off promise that neither of them had to fulfill any time soon. 

"Oh, that's fine," he said. 

At her curious look, Peeta exhaled sharply, figuring that he ought to explain himself. Most eighteen-year-old men probably wouldn't have had that reaction, Peeta realized.

"Not that I wouldn't want to," he began, sensing the way Katniss began drawing into herself almost immediately. He didn't want her to doubt her attractiveness for a moment, "you're a beautiful woman." 

Peeta watched, fascinated while she flushed a lovely shade of deep pink.

Katniss looked away then, mumbling something about him being a flatterer as she slid beneath the covers. She wouldn't look at him but continued to stare up at the ceiling as he removed his pants and shirt, leaving him in his boxers and undershirt. 

"I usually just sleep in these because I get pretty warm at night. I don't own any pajamas. I could get some if you'd like, though."

"It's fine," she told him, eyes still focused straight ahead while he pulled the covers back. Noticing how stiff she seemed, he decided to try and get her to relax a bit. He didn't know why, but he had this compulsion to make her smile. 

"You can look at me all you want, you know. I don't mind if you see me," Peeta said as he climbed in beside her. "I'm yours to do with what you want now, anyway." Katniss groaned, and he laughed a little at his joke (it wasn't really a joke though, was it?) as he lay back on the bed. 

Once he'd settled, she glanced at him; her mouth turned up a little in one corner in mild amusement. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Mellark," she told him.

A few moments later, when they were both settled, Katniss turned out the light. 

As Peeta lay beside her in the still and quiet, the darkness gave him a boldness he hadn't felt until then. Maybe it was that _yet_ word giving him hope like perhaps she wanted this to become a real marriage between them and not just a paper one. 

"You never said, Katniss. Why me?" he asked, rolling onto his side to look at her, just managing to make out her features in the dark. "Couldn't you have found someone with better prospects than me to marry?"

"You're very direct," she told him evasively.

Peeta laughed under his breath. "When something is weighing on my mind, yes, I am direct."

After a long moment, one where he was beginning to think she wasn't going to answer, Katniss sighed. "It was simple. You needed my help." 

That made him pause.

"I know about the things your mother has always done to you, Peeta."

So someone had noticed the bruises, the occasional broken bones- the "accidental" burns. Katniss had noticed.

"And you helped me once. You were kind to me when nobody else was." 

She must mean the bread- the loaves he'd given her that winter after her father died in the mines. That bread had meant a beating for him, but on that day, Katniss had looked as though she were dying, and he supposed another thrashing from his mother was worth keeping her alive another day or two. 

But now she had paid that small kindness back by marrying him?

"And I did need extra help in the butcher shop. It just seemed like a good solution," she explained.

"To marry a stranger?" Peeta asked softly, disbelief evident in his tone. "I just think you could've found someone better."

Katniss stirred, turning over and settling down again before answering him. "You're the only person who showed any thought to either Prim's or my welfare then," she said, "so, I don't know... I just figured if I had to marry, it ought to be to a kind man. And I knew you were kind. And strong. And I figured that if you were both kind and strong, you were my best option."

Peeta was utterly dumbfounded. "It was just bread," he whispered. "It wasn't that much."

"No, it was more than that. It was hope." Katniss's voice sounded like it was growing more distant with sleep. 

It was astounding to him that she could relax so soon, lying next to a man she hardly knew. For the first time in his life, Peeta felt like maybe he could be good enough for someone. Worth something to Katniss at least- her and Prim. She'd given him this chance, and in turn, he would try his best not to let either of them down. 

Tentatively, Peeta ran his fingers across the hand she'd left splayed out on the mattress in a light touch. 

Her fingers curled around his for a moment before releasing. 

"Go to sleep," he whispered to her, "rest easy." 

It was too soon to feel this way, but Peeta couldn't help the early stirrings of love that were forming in his heart. He hoped Katniss wouldn't notice yet, not until she was ready. 

He was already a goner.

* * *

"Peeta, can you come and help me with this?" Katniss asked him, the sound muffled because she'd bent over at the waist and grasped the hem of her shirt. She used it to wipe off her forehead while waiting on his response. 

Peeta caught a quick, tantalizing flash of soft-looking skin before she dropped the hem and straightened up again. "Of course," he said, shaking off thoughts that the image had inspired. Peeta still couldn't believe this beautiful little woman was his wife, his. Nothing had happened between them, they hadn't even kissed each other, but that promise of _yet_ was still floating in the air between them.

He moved aside the pan of meat scraps he'd been chopping to grind for sausage later and wiped his hands off on a towel before joining her.

"I can't quite manage it," she explained, gesturing to the animal before crossing her arms over her chest.

He huffed out a laugh at his petite wife's disgust with herself. "No wonder. This thing is bigger than you are," Peeta said as he stepped around her, but only after placing a light hand on her back to let her know where he was. He couldn't help being thrilled by the sense of mutual awareness that was developing between them. He was careful to initiate some contact between them, but not too much. If she'd allow it, he'd hold her tight and never let her go. 

Instead, Peeta grasped the hooves of the hog carcass and quickly picked it up, lifting it high enough to impale the hooks through the animal's flesh so that Katniss could separate it into halves and clean out the organs and entrails.

"You make that look easy," she said, smiling up at him.

Peeta made sure to step far enough away to give his wife the space she needed to get back to cutting up the hog. "Good to know I'm earning my way," he said lightly. 

She laughed, her whole face lighting up with it, and Peeta grinned at her. 

"Just keeping my end of the bargain."

Before he let himself become mesmerized by the way her face lit up when she seemed happy, he forced himself to look away from her. 

He didn't want to. Looking away from Katniss was something Peeta had to remind himself of more times a day than he could keep track of doing.

Since they'd married just a few weeks ago, Peeta had been using light jokes and easy charm to try and cover the more profound things he felt for Katniss. He was so happy to be a part of her life. They spent most days working side by side in her shop, and things were so peaceful. This new life he was living with her and Prim was like a dream. 

He would do whatever it took to make sure that she never grew tired of him. 

Peeta moved to step away from her so that they could both go back to work, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Did you need something else?" he asked softly, unable to figure out what she wanted. Everything about her was a mystery to him still. It was exciting and fun, but a little help now and then would be valuable. He just wanted her to be happy.

Katniss bit her lip and stared up at him, looking like there was something more she wanted to say.

Peeta waited. She seemed like she needed time to gather her thoughts.

"It's nothing," she said finally, shaking her head like she was trying to clear it. "It's just that I was kind of wondering something."

That didn't sound so bad. "What is it? You can ask me anything," he prodded. He didn't care what she said, just so long as Katniss didn't tell him to leave. Hell, she could ask him to go jump out the window right now, and he would, happily, as long as he could come right back inside.

He was such an idiot for her.

"Why," Katniss looked over his shoulder in that funny way she had when there was something direct she needed to say to him. Her voice dropped, and he couldn't believe the words she said to him next. "I was just wondering why you haven't tried to kiss me yet."

"You want... you want me to kiss you?" Peeta asked incredulously, his voice cracking. How was he supposed to have figured that out? She was so confusing. "I didn't know," he admitted to her.

Katniss shrugged. She glanced at his face quickly before looking away again, appearing to be as nervous as he felt. "I'm not always good at saying what I want. Only if you want to, though, I don't want to tell you what to do. I don't want things to be like that with us."

With _us_?

Peeta died a little on the spot, he was sure. Was this some kind of dream? If it didn't make him look like an idiot, he would pinch himself. Quickly he stepped closer to her, full of anticipation and ready to kiss the hell out of her honestly, but stopped short before putting his hands on her shoulders. 

A sudden reminder of where they were right now was the only thing that stopped him. "Did you mean right here in your shop?" he asked. The butchering room wasn't exactly the most picturesque environment, and Katniss deserved over-the-top, well-thought-out wooing, not a hasty kiss with his hands that smelled like blood all over her.

Peeta just wanted to show her how beautiful and cherished she was to him. "I just think our first kiss could be somewhere nicer than this, you know? Let me take you on a picnic or something. I'll, I'll make you dinner and everything. You deserve something more romantic than this."

Katniss scowled, crossing her arms over her chest again. "Why isn't this place good enough for you?"

He stared at her in disbelief. She was mad because he didn't want to kiss her in the smelly butcher shop? 

Katniss sighed. "Just forget it, forget I said anything."

_Oh my god, I am an idiot,_ Peeta realized, staring at her angry face, the one that more than anything he wanted to start kissing and never stop. 

He licked his lips.

"I mean, if you wanted to kiss me, I think you just would have done it," she went on.

Well, that did it.

"Katniss, _shut_ _up_ ," Peeta said suddenly, surprising even himself, but not able to make himself feel bad about saying it to her. From where had this assertiveness come?

Her eyes flared with _something_. Anger that he'd rejected her or because he told her what to do, or just plain excitement, he wasn't sure which. Maybe it was both. "What did you just say to me?" Katniss asked, backing away from him.

He laughed. Oh no, Katniss wasn't getting away now.

Peeta followed her as she moved further away from him. "I told you to shut up," he said smoothly. 

And there it was again, that same look on her face from the night they'd gotten married when he told her she was beautiful, that of course, he wanted her when they were both ready to take that step. Nervous anticipation, Peeta supposed he'd call it.

What was happening right this minute was an exciting change in their dynamic. Was this what Katniss wanted from him?

When Katniss's back hit the brick wall, he caged her in with his body, his hands going to either side of her shoulders. She was breathing heavily, and so was he, her eyes focused on his lips. Peeta couldn't decide where to look because every inch of her was so lovely.

"So you want me to kiss you?" he asked softly.

She nodded. "I do."

He bent his head close to hers. "You know, you shouldn't get mad because I want to do nice things for you." Peeta wished his hands weren't so gross because he wanted to touch her face so badly right now. "I just want to show you that you're beautiful. I want you to know what you mean to me already."

"Flatterer," Katniss whispered, closing her eyes. "I just… I don't want you to think you need to do this because I got you away from your mother, that's all. I don't need special things, just a little affection."

This moment right here had to be a dream- it wasn't possible to be this happy. Katniss had no idea what she'd opened herself up to with him.

"Can't we do both?" he asked.

With her head resting against the wall, she shook it back and forth.

She was so cute.

"What do you mean?" she asked him.

He didn't answer right away, just let his lips brush against hers.

Katniss sighed at the light contact. 

"I think we can both have what we want. And you're crazy if you think I'm doing this out of obligation," Peeta said, pulling back just far enough to speak. His heart was ready to beat out of his chest. "You have no idea, Katniss."

"Well, why don't you show me then?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck and standing on her toes to reach his lips.

Okay, so he guessed they were doing the touching each other with their dirty hands' thing. 

Well, she'd started it, Peeta supposed, sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her closer as she leaned into him, parting his lips with her own. When her tongue slipped into his mouth tentatively, he groaned. 

He had no idea what they were doing, but he sure was glad they'd begun.


	2. Chapter 2

Katniss pushed the loose hair out of her face with the back of her hand before letting it drop to her side again, allowing for more exposure of her flushed face to Peeta's eye. 

It was too hot out here to even think about touching each other- the air had a thick, heavy tinge of dampness about it that permeated everything. Despite that, Peeta could think of nothing but pulling his wife into his arms and kissing her. Maybe let his hands wander a little. Nothing too crazy- he didn't want to push her.

It'd been several months since they first kissed inside her smelly butcher shop, and they've been doing a lot of that since that day and just a little more. It's been a slow progression, the awakening physical relationship running alongside their emerging emotional connection. The anticipation of things to come only makes their moments together sweeter. 

Peeta was finding more each day how much he genuinely liked Katniss, and that liking had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he was in love with her- because he was head over heels in love with her already.

And why wouldn't he like her, love her? What wasn't there to love? 

Katniss was amazing.

She was quiet, and not outwardly friendly to most- and that was fine because Peeta could generally talk the ear off of a mule if it'd let him, but he sensed that she cared deeply for those in her inner circle. 

Katniss treated Prim more like her daughter than her sister, but then again, she'd had to do most of the raising of Prim after their father died. Their mother eventually recovered from the deep depression she'd fallen into after his death but decided to make a new start for herself, moving to District Four after the fall of the Capitol when travel opened back up again. She was now there working and studying medicine at a teaching hospital. 

Katniss had quietly admitted to him while they were lying in bed one night that her mother's move to Four had been for the best because she still felt disconnected from her. She had a strained relationship with their mother, but Prim had plans to go and stay with her once she graduated from the upper school in the spring. Her sister had plans to study to become a doctor. 

"I'm glad I have you now," Katniss told him that night with a self-deprecating laugh. She was decidedly more open with her thoughts in the darkness of their bedroom. "I hate the idea of being alone."

Peeta, for once in his life, had no idea what to say to that, so he simply held her.

But underneath the enjoyment of the small moments and the _now_ , if Peeta was honest with himself, there was a definite want for more, and it left him hyper-aware of Katniss's presence at all times. 

He loved being close to her but had the devil's own time working beside her in the butcher's shop all day. It was hard to keep his hands to himself when all he wanted to do was scoop her up, set her on the countertop, and kiss her until they were both breathless. Even something as innocent as sharing the couch after dinner was a study in self-control. Nighttime was the most difficult but also the sweetest because she'd curl her small, soft body next to him and let him hold her. Those moments were heaven and hell when he'd stroke his fingertips back and forth across her smooth skin.

Since that nighttime holding had begun, Peeta made sure he was up before her in the morning. Baker's habits were hard to change after almost nineteen years of getting up before dawn, of course, but mostly it was due to the hot need coursing through his body when he woke up next to her.

Hot…Peeta wiped off his forehead and looked away from her. Everything was so hot.

The only thing keeping him from attempting to take things further with Katniss was his unsureness of how she felt. She was difficult to read sometimes. Did she want to move their physical relationship further along? 

Maybe she was just waiting for him to make a move. But what if he was wrong- Peeta didn't want her to have any regrets about having sex with him.

While he wasn't sure how Katniss felt, he knew what he desired. Some forwarding motion, even if it wasn't the final act itself yet.

The tension was making him crazy. It wasn't like Peeta couldn't take care of his own needs himself, because he could (and did, embarrassingly often); it was just that there were so many things he was curious about- things he wanted to find out with Katniss. He wanted to do something, anything, to make her feel good.

Sooner or later, he thought, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. 

He just had to be patient.

While the heat wasn't doing anything to keep his thoughts in more innocent areas, he was thankful for it anyway. If it'd been any cooler today, the two of them would be at the butcher shop instead of tromping through the woods, slathered in a lavender oil-mint concoction that Prim swore would keep the biting bugs away. 

And all things considered- the bugs and the thick foliage they had to make their way through and the constant edge of sexual frustration that seemed to slowly be gnawing its way across the edge of his sanity, Peeta knew he would much rather be in the woods with Katniss right now. 

Katniss didn't seem to be having any battles with her self control. She was noticeably calmer out of the district, more at peace, and he reveled in seeing her that way. It was remarkable, this open side of her. It was much like the way she talked to him at night in bed when the lights were out but amplified because he could see her as well.

"What are you thinking about?" Katniss asked, pulling him back out of his thoughts.

Peeta waved his hand. "Oh, nothing much really," he said, with no intention of telling her the way his thoughts were running. Not yet, anyway.

"I'm glad you suggested this," he did answer her finally because she stood watching him, waiting on some kind of response.

She smiled and looked forward again, satisfied.

Minutes after waking up this morning, Katniss declared it too hot to go to work, and she had something else in mind they could do today. 

Peeta thought about the way her short summer nightgown had clung to her as she climbed out of their bed. Her skin had been pink, her hair in loose, wispy strands around her face. The heat had been oppressive even that early- the humidity as high as it'd felt all summer. 

Sweaty and scantily clothed was a great look on Katniss, he thought with a grin directed at his shoes. 

And Peeta didn't think it'd been just his imagination, either, the way her gaze ran over him in his linen boxers before her eyes darted away again quickly. He still couldn't believe this was his life.

"Prim can handle things on her own. She doesn't need us in the shop," she'd said before stepping around him to use the washroom.

So with no argument from him, after seeing Prim off to the shop, they packed lunch together and filled a few canteens with drinking water and tea. The two of them dressed in light clothes with sturdy shoes- Katniss in a thin dress while Peeta tugged on a pair of pants he'd cut off at the knees and a cotton t-shirt. 

Katniss refused to say where they were going even after they set out, only that there was a place she wanted to show him on the other side of the forest. 

That'd been a few hours ago, and they'd been walking ever since. Fortunately, the dense leaves hanging from the branches above them did a fair job of keeping the sun from beating down too harshly on their skin. Peeta was glad because he burned very quickly. 

"It shouldn't be too much longer now," Katniss said, bumping him with her elbow a few minutes later. They came to a stop, and she pointed. "There's a little ridge we have to climb up ahead. You can probably see it now?"

Peeta nodded.

"Once we get over that, you'll be able to see what I drug you clear out here for."

"You mean you didn't come to leave me dead in the woods?" Peeta quipped, jokingly. "Because the heat might make short work of me."

He had to move quickly to duck the light smack. 

"You are ridiculous," Katniss said, scowling at him. She looked genuinely angry. "Why would you say that to me?"

Peeta loved that tight little frown of hers when she glared at him. He pretty much loved everything about her if he was honest with himself, though. 

"It's just that this would be a pretty good way to get rid of me. You know, if you're tired of me already or something," he continued, joking, of course, but there was still a small part of him seeking reassurance that she wanted him around. "I'm sure you're the only one who knows their way around out here," he continued, "no one else comes out here."

"That's not true. My old hunting partner and his family come out here some," she countered.

"Okay- one other person, your _friend_ I might add-"

Katniss couldn't argue with that.

"Comes this far from the district. No, I'm not taking it back, the woods would be a good place to get rid of a body."

"Not the best way," Katniss murmured, her gaze focused ahead as they continued walking, her tone odd like she'd spent time thinking about it. 

He almost stopped in his tracks at her calm tone.

He hadn't been expecting that answer, but Peeta supposed he was the one who'd brought up the topic of murder and getting rid of the evidence. He only had himself to blame.

Her answer left him a little unsettled, but the smile Katniss threw him a moment later eased his mind. 

He was ridiculous. 

The thing about Katniss was that she seemed over-aware of everything out here among the trees. It was like she was a part of everything around her. 

She was very much like a creature of the forest, Peeta realized and didn't seem altogether human to him at that moment. 

Her reply to his question- the fact that she'd already thought about the best way to dispose of a dead body, seemed to encourage the crazy vision he suddenly had of her out here. A side that seemed entirely fae in nature and not primarily concerned with human conventions or fears. 

Peeta knew that she would do anything to protect what was hers. It was just her way. After all, Katniss had married him without knowing much of anything about him beforehand. She'd set her sights on him with no regard as to whether it was a proper thing to do or not.

Peeta had to laugh at himself. 

The heat and the unworldly atmosphere out here must be getting to him. He'd never had such wild a wild imagination. 

"No, you're probably right," Peeta agreed, thinking of the array of butcher knives and hooks hanging in her shop back in the Seam and how skilled she was at dismembering animals. "I'm sure you could find a better way to get rid of someone."

"I could. And for your information," Katniss paused to look at him seriously then, and the intensity of her gaze made his heart stutter. "I have no intention of getting rid of you, ever. You're mine. I'm taking care of you now."

But no matter how ridiculous it might have seemed to a casual, outside observer, Peeta understood. He knew his worth to her, no matter that he felt that he hadn't done much of anything to deserve it. "Katniss, I-"

But she interrupted him, seemingly in no mood to hear what he had to say. "Come on, let's keep walking. We're almost there, and I'm getting hungry."

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


"What do you think?" Katniss asked, turning to look at him. She was smiling broadly, a rare sight- she was typically much more serious back home. But here, she seemed to breathe easier, to feel lighter. She was excited to share this with him.

Peeta had never seen anything like this place in the piss-poor excuse the government called a district.

He was dumbfounded. "It's beautiful," he told Katniss before glancing forward again. 

It seemed fitting that she was the one to bring him here. This place reminded him of Katniss a great deal. He couldn't stop staring at it. 

Beautiful might not seem like quite a good enough word to describe this place, but it was the only one he was able to conjure up. 

Stretching out in front of him was a large body of water- a lake, set down in a vast valley with the mountain ridge rising behind it, full of blue water and bordered by tall vegetation on every side. Everything was greener here, the air cooler. 

"My father used to bring me here," Katniss told him, her voice quiet with a kind of reverence that she only reserved for speaking about him. "And other than you, I've only shared it with Prim." 

She took his hand in hers, and her smile was mischievous. "If I were a better person, I'd tell others it was here- but I'm not. I don't want to share."

Peeta laughed as she tugged on his arm and led him down the ridge towards the lake.

* * *

  
  
  
  


"What did the two of you do when you came here with your father?" Peeta asked, his words garbled a little around the bite of sandwich in his mouth. 

The two of them were sitting on the bank of the lake, shoes off and feet in the water, cooling down from the long hike that brought them there. They'd found a tree close by the water with a broad branch that hung out over the lake, offering lots of shade from the sun.

The question about her father wasn't one Peeta would typically ask Katniss out of the blue that way, but here it seemed like all their reservations were gone. It was easy to feel as if you were the only two people in the world. It didn't matter what was said or what wasn't.

Katniss set her sandwich down on her lap and leaned back, staring out across the lake. "We camped overnight once after I spent months begging him to," she laughed, and Peeta smiled at the way the memory seemed to make her happy. "Father agreed to it, but he was nervous all night. I could tell, even though I was only nine or ten. He didn't like leaving Mother and Prim behind like that, but it would've been too far for Prim to walk.'

"That sounds fun," Peeta told her, stroking the fingers of her hand closest to him. 

"It was. Father and I slept in that little cabin we passed on the way," Katniss nodded in the direction of the little cement house. "Maybe you and I can do that someday. I'd like that a lot."

"I'd love to," he admitted. "The only thing my family ever did was work or fight."

Katniss turned her hand over and threaded her fingers through his. "That's over now. I'm your family," she said softly. She wouldn't look at him, possibly feeling too exposed by her words. "You don't belong with them anymore."

Peeta's heart was so full he thought it in danger of bursting. 

"What else did you do here with your father?" he asked, changing the subject. 

Peeta was trying to resist the urge to drag her into his lap and kiss her senseless. He couldn't handle it when she said things like that to him. 

It wasn't often she opened up to him this way, and he wanted to know everything there was about Katniss. He had the desire to suck up everything she had to say like a sponge until there was no room left for anything else. "I'm just wondering what I can expect from our camp out," he prodded.

"We fished," she said, squeezing his hand before letting go of it. She seemed anxious to get back to her lunch all of a sudden, picking up her sandwich and taking another bite out of it. She took her time chewing and swallowing before speaking again. "And he showed me how to dig Katniss."

"Like your name?"

"Yep. Katniss plants have these little root bulbs on the ends that are sort of like potatoes. He always told me- "as long as you can find yourself, you'll never starve," Katniss giggled, "It was good advice, but to be honest I believe he thought he was pretty clever with that one."

"Yeah, Prim showed me the plant book once," Peeta told her. "I hope you don't mind; I just wanted to look at pictures of some things for my sketches."

"Of course not," Katniss said around another mouthful.

"She told me it was really old- that your dad's family had spent years putting it together. It's a remarkable book."

"Maybe you can add to it," she suggested. "Some pictures are missing- just my father's written descriptions."

"You want me to draw in your family's book?" He was stunned by the casual way she suggested it.

"Well, I keep telling you it's your family now, Peeta."

He didn't know what to say to that without embarrassing himself. "I'd love to," he managed; it'd be an honor."

"Good," Katniss said softly, smiling down at her lap.

They sat in silence for a few minutes after that.

"Peeta, do you know how to swim?" she eventually asked.

He shook his head. "Where would I have learned to swim?"

"I don't know," she said, kicking at his foot with hers. "A big bathtub, maybe?"

Peeta used his foot to fling water at her leg, the droplets splashing up out of the lake, leaving a rainbow shimmer behind them. It felt good to laugh with her this way. "Nope, sorry, just a regular-sized tub," he said.

"That's okay. I'll show you how. We'll go out after we finish eating and have rested awhile. You're not supposed to swim right after eating."

"That sounds fun, but I didn't bring a suit," Peeta reminded her as if he owned such a thing, "or a change of clothes."

"Neither did I," Katniss admitted with a shrug. "We don't need them though, do we? It's just us out here. And you are my husband, Peeta," she reminded him softly, turning from him to look out over the water once more.

He noticed the way her cheeks were flushed, and that's all it took for Peeta to become instantly hot all over again. The image of Katniss in her wet underclothes flooded his mind. He nodded dumbly, unable to get his mouth to work. 

"Is that a plan?" Katniss asked.

"Sounds good," Peeta managed to choke out.

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


"Are you ready to go in?" Katniss asked, standing up and stretching her arms above her head. 

Peeta peeked one eye open and looked up at her. "Yeah, I think so," he said, sitting up himself.

They'd finished their meal about an hour ago, and then they laid back in the shade the tree provided them. Peeta had closed his eyes and somehow managed to doze off for a few minutes, relaxed by a full stomach and the heat of the day.

"It's shallower over there," Katniss said, pointing north of where they were. "I'd rather start you out there. The water is about waist-high, and it's a gradual slope down. It'll give you more time to get adjusted to it."

"Alright," he agreed, standing up and following her.

Peeta had to admit that the slight sleepy feeling hanging over him as he followed her along the shore was probably a good thing. It seemed to be helping him to keep his body under control. 

While he was anticipating seeing Katniss in her underwear, he didn't necessarily want her to know just how much he was looking forward to it yet. The evidence would be obvious, embarrassingly evident to her soon enough.

The two of them stopped at a spot where the vegetation wasn't thick, and she released his hand.

Without warning, Katniss grasped the hem of her dress and pulled it over her head. 

Peeta almost swallowed his tongue when he found himself staring at her naked body. "Oh," he whispered, astounded by her.

It was almost too much- seeing all of her this way with no warning, even facing away from him. The delicious curve of her backside, her slim legs, the soft skin of her back, the side of her breasts- he was frozen in place by her beauty.

Peeta had visions of mapping her body with his fingers and mouth. He wanted to draw her, wanted to mark this moment in time to remember the rest of his life because she was _his_.

Well, so much for subtlety.

Katniss looked over her shoulder at him then, and he could sense some shyness peeking through her bold action. 

"Are you going to take yours off too?" she asked, crossing her arms over her breasts as if she were having second thoughts about disrobing in front of him so soon.

Well, he couldn't have that.

Peeta didn't answer, just watched the flush make its way across her beautiful body for a second before yanking his shirt over his head and shoving his shorts and underwear down his hips quicker than he thought it was humanly possible to do. He wasn't going to leave her feeling vulnerable and unsure of herself if there was anything he could do about it. 

Peeta knew his voice was thick when he answered her. "Lead the way," he said, and after debating with himself a moment, he placed a hand on her lower back. He couldn't help but notice the way she shivered but remained relaxed.

He was glad he hadn't guessed wrong about the invitation to touch her.

Peeta followed her down the slope of the bank, the packed mud surprisingly cold beneath his feet, getting more slippery the closer they got to the water. The lake was icy cold despite the heat of the day, and he yelped out loud as the water floated around first his legs and climbed higher up his body as they stepped in.

"The water will warm up more as the summer goes on," Katniss promised, ducking down into it as soon as she was waist-high.

Peeta was momentarily disappointed that she'd covered herself, but Katniss encouraged him to come further out. He did, the two of them stopping when she was standing in water that came up to her armpits while on him it reached more mid-torso.

"So now what," he asked, smiling down at her, his heart in his throat.

Katniss pushed a wet strand of hair out of her eyes. "Well, that's up to you, I guess," she said, stepping closer to him. "I could try and teach you some strokes now, but I'm feeling kind of distracted."

"You are?" he asked, entranced by her slow movements.

Katniss nodded. She was very close now, and she reached out to him, running a finger across his shoulder and down his bicep. She bit her lip.

Peeta swore his hands were shaking as he reached out to touch her. He found purchase on her hips beneath the water and urged her closer.

They both gasped as their naked bodies aligned with each other for the first time.

Katniss stared up at him in wonder. "Wow," she whispered, drawing in a deep breath that caused her chest to brush up against his.

Peeta crushed his mouth to hers without hesitation. He was drowning- in sensation, in her.

Nothing had ever felt better.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I’ll have the last part up soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter is a short one. Just wrapping things up :).

a"What's on your mind?" Peeta asked, catching Katniss's eye. 

She was leading him back home again through the woods after their day at the lake. The late-day sun was filtering down through the canopy of trees at a much lower angle, lending the overall sensation of having the back of one's body warmed by the setting sun. The cicadas and tree frogs were coming out in earnest now, and with the way the light was fading a little more every minute, it would be close to dark by the time they got back to their house. 

He swatted at his arm with his free hand where a mosquito landed- the bugs were getting worse. The lavender-oil mint bug balm they'd slathered on that morning had washed off their skin while they were in the lake, and with that gone, they'd become irresistible to the biting insects around them. Peeta tried not to give too much consideration to the way he smelled a bit like Katniss now because that thought was just- 

Well. 

He would have her backed against a tree and his hands underneath her dress if he kept letting his mind wander that way. He certainly couldn't concentrate on the fact that he knew she was naked beneath the dress. 

They needed to get home.

While waiting to see if she would answer, Peeta took the opportunity to sneak a quick look down the front of her dress. He guessed he was allowed to do that now? Katniss hadn't seemed to mind him looking his fill just a few hours ago. He could make out the outer curve of her breast, where her neckline hung open. It seemed unreal to think he'd run his hands over almost every inch of her smooth, warm skin.

Katniss tugged her braid over one shoulder with the hand that wasn't entwined with his and covering his view. He didn't think it'd been intentional. "It's nothing," she said, "really. But what's on your mind, since you're so anxious for me to say?"

A slow, easy smile spread across Peeta's face the moment he caught her gaze. "I'm just thinking about you. You earlier," he admitted, "and how perfect you are-"

She rolled her eyes at that.

"But mostly I was thinking about how happy I am," he admitted. 

Katniss smiled up at him, and she was so beautiful to him at that moment; it made his chest ache. His heart was so full of her- he wondered if he would ever have room inside his chest to catch his breath again. 

She looked like she wanted to say something, and he didn't rush to fill the silence. Instead, he waited for her to speak. 

One of the things he'd found out to be the truth about Katniss was sometimes it took a while to find her words, and Peeta was more than happy to give her that extra bit of consideration. He'd keep silent all day if she asked him to. It made him appreciate her even more. 

Instead of using words, Katniss worked best in actions. Actions were infinitely better. After all, she'd taken him to the lake today and shown him what exactly he meant to her. She was the one who'd initiated the beginnings of a physical relationship between them today.

"I'm happy, too," she answered quietly.

"Good," he said, squeezing her hand. 

Peeta knew there were other things he could say to her right now; more romantic things. But for once in his life, words didn't seem necessary. 

Maybe he was learning a thing or two from Katniss, Peeta realized unexpectedly. And really, it was better that way; he'd always been so hesitant to act when his words came without much effort. He'd spent years covering things with words and using words to soothe uncomfortable situations instead of taking action to change things.

The two of them had begun their trip back from the lake talking and laughing and just enjoying each other's company, but that had faded into more of a companionable silence, which continued the rest of the way back to the district. They were both tired from the day, but it was the best kind of tired- the tired that came from too much kissing and fooling around and swimming (in his case, learning to just a little). _Fun_.

They finally reached the end of the trees and began crossing the meadow silently. They met no one on their way. The solitude was welcome; it helped Peeta carry the feeling that the two of them were alone together in their private world just a little longer. 

He supposed that he didn't want to be alone with Katniss forever, though. The rest of the night would be good enough. Perfect, even. Peeta wasn't sure how he was going to look Prim in the eye again after everything he'd shared with Katniss today. Everything felt different now. He was sure it had to be written all over his face.

The dark house they arrived to find told Peeta that perhaps he was going to get his wish.

Katniss soon found a note from Prim explaining how she'd gone to help the new district healer with a delivery. It was the mother's first time, she said, and they strongly suspected the woman was carrying twins. 

Prim's note further said that she wouldn't be home until the morning, and she'd went ahead and hung a sign on the butcher shop stating they wouldn't be opening until tomorrow afternoon instead of at 8 am as usual. 

_On account of your honeymoon trip-_ Prim wrote, with a cheeky little smiley face scribbled on the page. It made Peeta grin and Katniss groan.

- _and don't worry! I didn't write that on the sign!_

They both laughed over the note.

"I guess I wasn't very subtle," Katniss told him, biting her lip, daring him to say something different, "dragging you off to the woods that way."

"Me neither. I feel like I've been burning a hole through you with my eyes for weeks now," Peeta admitted. He was glad he didn't need to try and hide it now. He was grateful for Prim's tact in leaving them alone tonight. "I guess Prim must have caught on to all of that."

Peeta was didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around Katniss then and pull her close where he could take in the scent of her hair and her skin. She leaned fully into him, and he rested his lips on the side of her neck- brushing them against the delicate skin before resting his chin on top of her head. They were silent for a minute, just holding each other.

Peeta was thinking, gathering his courage.

"Are you hungry?" he finally asked, releasing her just enough that he could follow up the question with a soft kiss. He lingered there, and his lips parted slightly, the heat rising again between them despite everything they'd experienced together that afternoon. 

Katniss responded eagerly to him, pressing herself against him, and Peeta knew it would be so easy to pick her up and carry her to their bedroom right now. With no questions needed, they could take that final step, the one they'd decided shouldn't happen at the lake but inside their own home, in their bed. And he wanted to, wanted her so badly.

But there was something Peeta had to do first.

"I suppose so," she said, confusion lacing her voice as he urged her back a little as if Peeta had asked her something nonsensical like what her favorite color was. 

That in itself was a silly thought; he already knew her favorite color. It was green.

"Do you want some toast?"

"I guess..."

Peeta sighed. Well, he'd bungled that.

"That was my stupid way of asking you to toast with me. So forget that first attempt and let me try this again. How do you feel about making things official between us?" he asked, his grasp sliding down her arms so that he could take her hands in his.

Peet wasn't sure how she would feel about his proposition, he hoped he knew, of course, but either way, he had to say it. It would be her decision where they would go from here. Maybe she would think it was too soon. "I know we entered this marriage without knowing each other at all. But I'm so glad we did it. You did it, I mean," he said, "I didn't have a whole lot of say in the matter, did I?"

"You could have said no," Katniss reminded him, her tone light even though what he was trying to tell her was kind of all over the place. She seemed to be following his train of thought anyway. "No one forced you."

"Not in a million years," Peeta said, grinning down at her, relieved that she hadn't run off screaming yet or gotten upset with the way he was going about things. He knew there had to be a more romantic way of doing this, but she didn't seem to mind. "I knew I wouldn't get a better offer," he lifted their raised hands between them and kissed her knuckles, lingering for a moment before dropping them again. "I wanted to marry you. It was just that you scared me-"

"I scared you?" she asked, sounding incredulous, "how did _I_ scare you?"

"No, you're right, scared isn't the right word. Um, no, I'd say it was more like you intimidated me. That's it. You're so capable and beautiful, and I had no idea what to do with myself."

Peeta recalled the way he'd been so concerned about the possibility of her having had a string of lovers before him and how he'd felt his inexperience so intensely. That particular worry had been for nothing. The months together had shown him that. Katniss had acted first in many ways- she'd made the first big gesture in their relationship, so it was his turn to follow, and she was worth every gesture, every small thing he could give her. 

Of course, all that he had to offer her was himself, but thank the stars above his wife seemed to think that was enough. "I'll never understand why you thought I was worth saving. But either way, I'm so glad you did."

Katniss pressed her fingertips to his lips, a gentle hushing. "Peeta, you didn't need saving. Not really, it wasn't that I looked at you like you were a charity case. You must realize that." She said. She hesitated before forging ahead with the rest as if she wasn't sure what he would think. "The reason I married you, it was partially about the bread and things owed on the one hand, but on the other, it wasn't that at all. I just wanted to have you for myself. You just kept becoming more attractive to me all the time. Not just physically, although that's a big part of it," she admitted, her cheeks flushing as her eyes darted away from his. Peeta grew hot all over at the implication of her words.

"It was your kindness too," Katniss continued, "and you never outgrew that. I tried to tell myself it wasn't right to want someone who was so much younger than I was-"

"Three years isn't that much," he told her softly, "it's nothing to be ashamed of."

"That's easy for you to say. You were a teenager, Peeta, while I was a grown woman."

"But you didn't approach me until after I was done with school and of age, did you? No. Please don't think about it anymore. Because I'm so glad you did want me, Katniss, because I'm in love with you," he said vehemently, "just stupidly in love with you. So will you toast with me?" He asked, staring down into her eyes.

"Is that what you want?" she asked softly, looking down at their joined hands. "We've done everything we had to do."

"But this is what I want to do. Well, not the only thing, of course. I want the rest of my life with you. I want to be the father of your children; I want to grow old with you-"

"Is there bread?" Katniss asked, interrupting him.

It was just as well; he could have gone on all night with his list of wants. "Is there bread?" Peeta asked, scoffing at the question. Secretly, his heart was pounding. She seemed as eager to do this as he did.

When she rolled her eyes at the question, he dropped her hands and pulled her into his arms instead- it was right where he wanted her right now.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest.

"You married a baker, and you still ask me if there's bread?" he continued, chiding her with a grin on his face that she couldn't see.

Katniss laughed, and it was magic, holding her while she seemed so happy. "It's a reasonable question- you're not a baker anymore," she reminded him, her words muffled against his shirt, "you're a butcher now."

"Listen. I may not be a baker by trade anymore," he admitted, "but I'll always be _your_ baker."

And when Peeta went outside to find some kindling to start a fire, Katniss took herself to the washroom and washed up. The day's grime on her skin didn't feel proper for their toasting. He took his turn once she was done, and when he came out, Katniss was waiting for him by the fireplace with the bread and toasting irons. There was nothing fancy, nothing showy about what they had planned. It was just them, and she wore another light dress while Peeta had changed into clean pants and a shirt. She'd commented how she probably ought to just put on her nightgown since they would be going to bed soon anyway, but Peeta reminded her of the fact that he didn't own any pajamas. He didn't figure he ought to have their toasting in his underwear. 

She laughed heartily at that.

It was just a few minutes later that Peeta had a small fire going. And soon, with their bread toasted, they made promises and repeated vows to each other. Bites were fed, followed by kisses that began softly but progressed until Katniss crawled onto his lap in front of their hearth.

That was it- they were married.

And then much as he'd thought of doing all day, they stood, and Peeta picked Katniss up and carried her in his arms, taking her to bed. 

They'd shared it side by side for months, but that night they made it theirs.

And after, he didn't even need to ask if she loved him- they were the first words out of her mouth. "I love you," Katniss whispered, leaning up to kiss him as he hovered over her, their bodies still slick with sweat from their lovemaking. 

And Peeta knew he was home- this was real.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> I have to admit that this story took a strange trip inside my mind while I was writing it. Originally I'd planned on having this story take a dark turn where Katniss would threaten Mrs. Mellark with dismemberment (that's pretty demented, I know) if she didn't stay away from Peeta. Ultimately I just liked the tone of this better- I thought Katniss was too cute in this story to make her a potential murderer :).
> 
> I love to talk to you guys, so feel free to comment if you're feeling it. Love to hear your thoughts.


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